Re: LSSU Lakers 2017 off-season thread

Non-Conference next season I believe we play a home and home series with NMU, at Michigan State and Notre Dame in the Shillelagh Tournament Thanksgiving weekend. There could be one more series. The WCHA needs to play much better in non-conference games next season. The league's NC record this year is an embarrassment.

Re: LSSU Lakers 2017 off-season thread

I see that the owner of the @LakeStateHockey Twitter account took some flak last night, including from a couple of the players. I've been blocked from viewing that account for a couple of years so I don't know what kind of garbage the owner was Tweeting last night, but it's nice to see that more people are recognizing that account for what it is, a faux fan account. I could see the replies to whatever @LakeStateHockey Tweeted.

Re: LSSU Lakers 2017 off-season thread

Originally Posted by LSSULaker889294

Non-Conference next season I believe we play a home and home series with NMU, at Michigan State and Notre Dame in the Shillelagh Tournament Thanksgiving weekend. There could be one more series. The WCHA needs to play much better in non-conference games next season. The league's NC record this year is an embarrassment.

I think the teams they will play in conference 4 times are:
Ferris
Michigan Tech
Bowling Green
Anchorage
Bemidji

They will also have:
2 vs. Mankato
2 vs. Alaska
2 at Huntsville
2 at Northern

Re: LSSU Lakers 2017 off-season thread

Originally Posted by Bill

I see that the owner of the @LakeStateHockey Twitter account took some flak last night, including from a couple of the players. I've been blocked from viewing that account for a couple of years so I don't know what kind of garbage the owner was Tweeting last night, but it's nice to see that more people are recognizing that account for what it is, a faux fan account. I could see the replies to whatever @LakeStateHockey Tweeted.

You didn't miss much Bill. Mostly giving certain players a lot of flak while hiding behind a computer screen.

Re: LSSU Lakers 2017 off-season thread

Originally Posted by LSSULaker889294

I have a feeling Mitch Hults will be leaving early and turn pro. Hope I'm wrong!

It will be a bit of a waiting game to see if that happens. I hope he stays at least one more year also, although it won't be a surprise if he goes. Bindulis has also been getting attention from the scouts, but I think he took a step backward after the mid-season lower body injury, so he definitely should stay another season or preferably two; he's not ready for the pros yet. Hults' odds of making it as a pro would also be a lot better if he stayed another season.

Re: LSSU Lakers 2017 off-season thread

All I know is that LSSU plays with a lot of heart, and seems to always come up a little short in the big games. (Yes I know....champs 88', 92' and 94'.) They have the talent, so I do not know what their issue is. If they have one thing going for them, it is their uniforms.

Re: LSSU Lakers 2017 off-season thread

Originally Posted by Clint Greenleaf

All I know is that LSSU plays with a lot of heart, and seems to always come up a little short in the big games. (Yes I know....champs 88', 92' and 94'.) They have the talent, so I do not know what their issue is. If they have one thing going for them, it is their uniforms.

Rebuilding with a new coach takes time. It took both Mel Pearson at Michigan Tech and Chris Bergeron at Bowling Green 4 years to get their programs back to the .500 level once they were hired. Damon Whitten has added a lot of speed to the team at forward the past couple of years. Now we need to do the same with our D-men. From the games I've seen the past couple of years, I think the main thing separating us from the top teams in the league is this: the top teams have better overall skating speed/ability from their D-corps. That's the main area where I think the Lakers need to improve, and I think we will see that happen over the next few years.

Re: LSSU Lakers 2017 off-season thread

Originally Posted by Bill

It will be a bit of a waiting game to see if that happens. I hope he stays at least one more year also, although it won't be a surprise if he goes. Bindulis has also been getting attention from the scouts, but I think he took a step backward after the mid-season lower body injury, so he definitely should stay another season or preferably two; he's not ready for the pros yet. Hults' odds of making it as a pro would also be a lot better if he stayed another season.

Players don't need to "Make it" as a pro to get a bucket load of money. UAA's Mason Mitchell just left after 2 years for an entry level NHL 2 year contract. He will get $92,500 a year for two years in just a signing bonus, aside from whatever he makes in the AHL or the NHL. To a poor college student, that is pretty attractive, and hard to turn down.

Originally Posted by aparchI love the "UA_" comment. When I see it, I think of re-runs of Match Game, and Gene Rayburn going "U, A, Blank... UA blank"

From ADN:

"According to NCAA, the (UAF) hockey team used ineligible players in every game played from the 2007-08 season to the 2010-11 season. Over that span, the wins and ties will all become losses. 4 wins and 2 ties came against rival UAA".

Players don't need to "Make it" as a pro to get a bucket load of money. UAA's Mason Mitchell just left after 2 years for an entry level NHL 2 year contract. He will get $92,500 a year for two years in just a signing bonus, aside from whatever he makes in the AHL or the NHL. To a poor college student, that is pretty attractive, and hard to turn down.

First off that's a bucket load of money?

Second our program has seen our fair share of early departures the last few seasons. I think if they are NHL ready then they should go,if not then stay and get better.

Another Western Collegiate Hockey Association season has ended in disappointment for the Lake Superior State Lakers.

The Lakers were swept by the Michigan Tech Huskies in convincing fashion in the opening round of the playoffs on the weekend, losing by 6-4 and 8-0 scores.

This marks the third straight season that the Lakers have finished with a sub-par record under third-year head coach Damon Whitten.

Whitten was brought in to replace the fired Jim Roque three years ago but the Lakers have shown little improvement in the standings or in the win-loss column.

Under Whitten, the Lakers have finished ninth, seventh and seventh in the 10-team WCHA. The Lakers overall records in the three seasons with Whitten at the helm are all below the .500 mark — 8-28-2, 14-22-5 and 11-18-7.

Thus, the Lakers three-year record under Whitten stands at 33-68-14.

This season, the Lakers started out with five straight wins only to finish with just six more victories the rest of the way.

And not only have the Lakers been unable to win a single playoff series under Whitten, they have a 1-6 record

Tune in for more talk of the Lakers collapse this season, and other local hockey talk on the Hockey North Show, with Randy Russon, tonite at 5 p.m. on radio station ESPN 1400.

Re: LSSU Lakers 2017 off-season thread

There has been a study done on college free agent players leaving early for the pros, and I don't remember the actual numbers, but the odds of them becoming regular players in the NHL are very highly stacked against them when they leave prior to their Junior year. Guys staying through their Junior season have much better odds. But yeah, the reality of that money being dangled in front of them is hard to resist and many of them leave too early anyway.

Re: LSSU Lakers 2017 off-season thread

Very raw. Decent size and a very good skater. Good start to his freshman season but a lower body injury in mid-season really set him back. Wasn't quite the same player when he finally returned to the lineup. Wouldn't surprise me greatly if he signed, but even more so than Mitch Hults he could use another season playing college hockey.

Re: LSSU Lakers 2017 off-season thread

Originally Posted by Suze

Players don't need to "Make it" as a pro to get a bucket load of money. UAA's Mason Mitchell just left after 2 years for an entry level NHL 2 year contract. He will get $92,500 a year for two years in just a signing bonus, aside from whatever he makes in the AHL or the NHL. To a poor college student, that is pretty attractive, and hard to turn down.

The minimum salary in the AHL is roughly $49,000 per year. He most likely won't start there, though. The ECHL average salary is $600 per week with a few veterans close to $1,000 per week plus a furnished room. That isn't exactly big bucks dangling in the wind they are chasing, even if you throw in the signing bonus. Life after hockey comes quick and unless they make it to the NHL, that money isn't going to get them too far without needing other options.